ByMatthew ShaerJune 7, 2013

The starring role in Metal Gear V: The Phantom Pain, the forthcoming game from Konami, will go to TV and film actor Kiefer Sutherland.

In a pre-E3 video announcement released today, Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojimasaid that because "the game takes place in 1984 when Snake is 49 years old," he felt the role should go to "someone who could genuinely convey both the facial and vocal qualities of a man in his late 40s." Sutherland, the star of the hit TV series "24," is 46.

"This time, with Metal Gear Solid V, the themes are a little different from previous games in the series," Kojima explained in the video (hat tip to Wired). "We’re taking on some very heavy subjects such as race and revenge. I wanted Snake to have a more subdued performance, expressed through subtle facial movements and tone of voice rather than words."

You know who wasn't so psyched about the news? David Hayter, the Canadian-American actor who handled the English voice-acting duties for the previous Metal Gear Solid games (along with a whole lot of titles in other games, including Star Wars: The Old Republic.)

New Coke, for those who don't remember or have chosen to forget, was a rebooted soda introduced by Coca-Cola back in the 1980s. It bombed, and it was eventually removed from store shelves. So no, that's not exactly an endorsement from Mr. Hayter.

Still, he seems to be greeting his demotion with an admirable amount of pluck. A few minutes after posting the first tweet, Hayter took to Twitter, and thanked his "beloved tweeps" for their supportive messages. "Getting fired was never so heartwarming," he added.